Charles Kelley, a member of the band Lady A, has been open and honest with his fans about his path to sobriety. However, there is one particular incident that he has never directly addressed until recently. Kelley has now revealed that he had a close call with a DUI when he was driving under the influence.
In an interview on Elizabeth Vargas' Heart of the Matter podcast, Kelley confesses that when he consumed alcohol, it frequently happened that he would have "four or five drinks" while playing golf and then proceed to drive himself back home.
Kelley confesses that they were driving while intoxicated on their way home. Despite the short duration of the journey, there were instances where Kelley realized the extreme foolishness and danger of their actions. The following day, Kelley deeply regretted their behavior, realizing that they could have caused harm to others or even lost their own life.
On a specific occasion, Kelley had a close call with a DUI charge. It happened during the Christmas season, and his wife Cassie and son Ward were away for a few days, giving him the freedom to consume alcohol without any family responsibilities. He spent the day playing golf and drinking at a nearby bar. Towards the end of the night, fellow customers at the bar began to worry about whether Kelley intended to drive home.
"And I thought to myself, 'If I don't drive back, my wife will ask me, 'Where's your car?' even though I could have picked it up the next morning. She wouldn't have been aware of it because she wasn't there," he recalls.
However, he was determined to return home alone, so he discreetly left through the rear exit of the bar and began driving away. Unfortunately, he was stopped by the police on his way back to his house, which was only a short distance away.
The police officer examined my license and inquired if I was the person from the band. I confirmed that I was indeed part of the band. Instead of arresting me for driving under the influence, the officer instructed me to park my car and personally drove me home. He didn't issue me a ticket or any punishment. I was amazed and relieved at how fortunate I was to have avoided trouble.
However, the occurrence served as a reminder for Kelley that he needed to inform his spouse about the incident.
The singer expressed their feelings of being completely worn out and fed up. They had recently been pulled over and realized that their actions could have had serious consequences, potentially jeopardizing the band's reputation. They acknowledged that it would have resulted in negative publicity, which they wanted to avoid.
He made a firm decision to stop drinking alcohol and struggled for three months to resist the temptation. However, he eventually succumbed to his old habits of drinking. It took another year for him to finally seek help and fully dedicate himself to a sober lifestyle.
Following his rehabilitation, it didn't take much time for Kelly to share with Lady A fans about his struggle with alcohol. The country trio was transparent with their fanbase, explaining that the primary reason for postponing their 2022 Request Line Tour was to safeguard Kelley's newfound sobriety. This decision to be honest was made by Kelley himself. However, his bandmates, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood, proposed alternative explanations for the band's absence from the tour.
Kelley expressed that she was not ashamed of her actions and believed in being honest about them. She acknowledged that what she was going through was extremely challenging. Instead of taking the easy way out by continuing to drink and destroying everything, she chose a different path. She expressed gratitude for the situation she found herself in, which marked a significant turning point for her. This led her to decide to share her story, and it has since gained momentum in a positive and beneficial manner.
Here is a collection of 18 country artists who have chosen to live a sober lifestyle. Additionally, we have compiled a list of 11 amazing country songs that revolve
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